News - Wii Opera Browser beta released
Posted by
Josh Freund
at 12:58:15 AM EST on 12.23.2006.
Yesterday, the beta of the Opera browser went live on the Wii. It's currently available as a free download, after which you'll be able to browse to your heart's content on your TV screen. Note that since it's still a beta, there may be compatibility problems with certain sites, videos, files, etc. Youtube videos seem to be hit or miss so far - some work, some don't.
You can head over to Opera's
video page to see the browser in action. You can also check out the
Opera PR page to see what features the browser offers on the Wii.
Here's what Nintendo and Opera had to say about the launch:
Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America: "Opera on Wii adds a new dimension and functionality to a video game console system. It is a unique Web experience that everyone can use, and the Intelligent Zoom feature allows consumers to read Web content on the TV from the comfort of their couch. Whether surfing the Web or playing a Wii game, users of all kinds will find fun, new experiences with Wii."
Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver our browser to Wii and let the world see what Opera is capable of on a game console, says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. Wii users will enjoy navigating the Web with the flick of the Wii Remote while viewing their favorite content with ease from the TV screen. We are proud of our product and are working hard to make the final version of Opera as revolutionary as the Wii itself."
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+0 karma
eggmanimn 12.29.2006 at 03:35:18 PM
Saying that you have a girlfriend doesn't make you not a nerd.
-3 karma
traderjack 12.29.2006 at 12:17:28 PM
"Dizzy, if you're posting here - AT All - you're a geek anyway... so why should they feel even dumber for messing around with their new technology? I mean, I'm sure you just hopped out of a bed full of strippers to make your comment and all, but hey... what the hell. I'm gonna get drunk. Later, homey."
Speak for yourself, dude. There are alot of us here who have girlfriends, lives, and friends. Don't bunch us in with you. Oh, and alchohol doesn't make you cool.
Homie.
-IV
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phoenicks 12.27.2006 at 12:08:03 AM
Piling on:
The browser also has the major advantage of being tremendously faster to get onto, including actually turning on your Wii, than a PC.
I actually turned on my computer, waited about 20 seconds, then turned on my Wii, and I was still on CNN.com looking up James Brown faster than it took for Firefox to get to the homepage.
If you're looking for something to replace IE7 or Firefox, you're in the wrong place, obviously. But, for YouTube videos and casual browsing for the whole family (see, Nintendo's target), the Wii Browser is quite excellent.
Now I just hope that they upgrade to Flash 8 and figure out a way to make Unix Opera 9 more compatible come March.
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ershin 12.26.2006 at 01:49:41 AM
animetayl: I was hoping someone would make that point. I've got my own PC so it isn't like I'm ever in a situation where I can't easily browse the web, but the ability to save/quit to the Wii Menu and then quickly launch a browser to like, check a FAQ for whatever game I'm playing is awesome. As far as I'm concerned, the browser is awesome for the simple fact that it augments the overall gaming experience. Now all we need is an IM service >_>
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.ashkore. 12.25.2006 at 11:50:03 PM
Actually typing with the wiimote didn't take long =). I wish a backspace button was on the controller and not on the screen. Did anyone try to hook up a keyboard to the Wii?
"if you are posting without a keyboard, you truley are a geek."
Nice. Thanks for the complement dizzy. I'm more of a dork.. but a geek is cool =p. Hmmm, maybe I should of said "I'm posting on GAF with my palm pilot.". Grow up.
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i_like_pizza 12.25.2006 at 02:32:39 AM
The browser is pretty cool, but typing is a problem that needs to be addressed. Other than that, my biggest complaint is the resolution. Browsing in 480i on a 50 inch screen =/= fun. The text is about as legible as my name usually turns out when I'm making yellow snow.
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drk 12.25.2006 at 12:53:48 AM
Dizzy, if you're posting here - AT All - you're a geek anyway... so why should they feel even dumber for messing around with their new technology? I mean, I'm sure you just hopped out of a bed full of strippers to make your comment and all, but hey... what the hell. I'm gonna get drunk. Later, homey.
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bounchfx 12.25.2006 at 12:06:35 AM
yea - it takes soooo long to type a comment out w/ wii.
-_-
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if you are posting without a keyboard, you truley are a geek.
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.ashkore. 12.24.2006 at 10:29:40 PM
I'm on GAF with my WII =]
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bounchfx 12.24.2006 at 10:27:58 PM
im using the browser now, and i have to say, im liking it more every time i use it
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ununbiundave 12.24.2006 at 07:55:33 PM
Game Informer reported that when they plugged USB devices in, they weren't recognized at all. I don't imagine it will be very long before the keyboard issue is rectified, though.
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phoenicks 12.24.2006 at 05:09:56 PM
The Wii has USB ports (2 on the back), yes, but no USB keyboard support, as far as I know. I haven't tried anything USB on it yet so I can't confirm this in the wild.
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dizzy don mega 12.24.2006 at 03:31:45 PM
Can you plug in a keyboard to the Wii?
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proppat 12.24.2006 at 01:58:00 PM
"I take it you've never used an HTPC or a wireless mouse before."
I have, and they totally suck because you have to have a flat surface to mouse on. Couch cushion doesn't really work, and you can't even do that from a relaxed position.
+2 karma
sean 12.24.2006 at 11:06:37 AM
I used it for a few minutes and it's pretty irritating. Using the wiimote as a mouse isn't that big of a deal, but on-screen keyboards are most non-triumphant.
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rahvii 12.24.2006 at 10:50:26 AM
im on it now too lol
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terpfen 12.24.2006 at 10:06:19 AM
"I have to have a surface to use a mouse on...which makes it a little hard to do while laying/slouching/whatever on my couch."
I take it you've never used an HTPC or a wireless mouse before.
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proppat 12.24.2006 at 09:56:43 AM
Terpen, you totally missed the point. I have to have a surface to use a mouse on...which makes it a little hard to do while laying/slouching/whatever on my couch. And then I have to have a mouse laying around, along with said mousing surface. My Wii remote sits on the coffee table. I love the fact that you don't even have to get up to turn on the system.
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ununbiundave 12.24.2006 at 08:41:50 AM
Internet porn from the couch. 'nuff said.
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cainkid 12.24.2006 at 04:12:34 AM
Terp, your point holds true. But at the same time, people felt that game functionality was sacrificed for stupid features on the psp. The psp hastons of features, one of them just happens to be playing games.
I haven't heard the ps3 catch heat, so no comment.
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c 12.24.2006 at 02:00:00 AM
"proppat - A cool feature would be if it allowed for 4 remotes to work at the same time."
And you'd be able to enter text and browse with both hands at once.. which would make the whole thing so much more usable. I don't see why they wouldn't allow for that.
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c 12.24.2006 at 01:58:23 AM
By the way, I checked opera.com or some such site, and it said that the browser will cost 500 Wii points when it goes on sale in June or whatever. People who download the beta will be able to keep using it for free, but I don't know if that means they'll get the full version for free as well.
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show comment] -4 karma
"See, the thing that makes the Wii browser great is the remote."
So... it's just like using a mouse? Imagine that.
Still waiting for people to bash Nintendo for including non-gaming functions on the Wii, when everyone bashed Sony for doing so with the PSP and PS3.
+1 karma
proppat 12.23.2006 at 09:50:59 PM
See, the thing that makes the Wii browser great is the remote. You don't have to have a keyboard or a flat surface for a mouse. You can just lay on the couch and click around sites real quick. I really hope they build in password saving functionality. The only thing that's been frustrating so far is typing in user names and passwords.
As everyone's been saying, this is especially great with Youtube. You can just sit around with some friends and browse random videos. A cool feature would be if it allowed for 4 remotes to work at the same time. That way everybody could participate in showing videos and websites without having to pass around the remote.
-1 karma
true 12.23.2006 at 07:35:03 PM
"Not really. PS3 has one, in which the resolution is bigger so you can actually read the texts with smaller fonts than 20 and you can use mouse & keyboard with it."
______
I actually heard the opposite from a few other people who have a Wii and PS3. Saying that it's easier to read on the Wii than the PS3 (with higher resolution on a big screen). I finally got Youtube to work, coolness & Homestar Runner toons!
-1 karma
dscuber9000 12.23.2006 at 06:59:24 PM
This is only a Beta. Once the real thing is out (which Opera would probably release a keyboard for the Wii as well), we can compare this one to the PS3.
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tonysama 12.23.2006 at 06:58:39 PM
i'm using the wii browser right now, and its not that bad. though i wish i could use 2 wiimotes at the same time so i could type faster.
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cainkid 12.23.2006 at 06:51:22 PM
Azu is most likely right, and I don't think this browser is winning races by any standards. but it is fun, and mostly useable (I have only found one thing impossible to use, and that was a chat room.)
all the stuff on phoenicks list I would love to see as well.
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azu 12.23.2006 at 05:41:11 PM
Correction, PS3 has several different kinds of web browsers.
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azu 12.23.2006 at 05:40:20 PM
"So far, I'm loving it. It's just about the best non-PC web browser out there."
Not really. PS3 has one, in which the resolution is bigger so you can actually read the texts with smaller fonts than 20 and you can use mouse & keyboard with it.
+1 karma
bjork 12.23.2006 at 02:48:56 PM
I like how this is supposedly some groundbreaking thing... I did this with a Dreamcast 7 years ago.
Still cool and all, but wtf
-1 karma
phoenicks 12.23.2006 at 02:14:27 PM
So far, I'm loving it. It's just about the best non-PC web browser out there.
I can only ask for 3 additions when the browser goes final in March 2007:
1. Tabbed browsing - IE7 and Firefox have made it mainstream. Shoot, even the PSP has it.
2. The latest version of Flash (or improved compatibility from what it's got)- YouTube works, but Break.com doesn't, for example.
3. An address bar - It's annoying to have to go back to the Opera main page to enter a new address EVERY time.
-1 karma
x51 12.23.2006 at 01:31:22 PM
the auto text on the browser can screw you up... like text messaging on cell phones... but websites like youtube and wiicade are way cooler on the wii than on pc
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cainkid 12.23.2006 at 12:47:56 PM
On it right now as well.us Usually when i`m on the web I get stuck refreshing forums all day.us But now I can check them from bed! I would love some tabs and stuff, but i`m not going to complain just yet.
(there are usb ports on the wii, can a keyboard be that silly of an idea?)
-1 karma
siraileron 12.23.2006 at 12:24:01 PM
alright, something's up with my Firefox. >_>;
-1 karma
siraileron 12.23.2006 at 12:23:15 PM
I'm wondering if they'll incorporate a right-click equivalent sometime.
+3 karma
i kick tits 12.23.2006 at 12:16:57 PM
I was just looking at porn, and the browser froze.
Man, I was so close.
-1 karma
bluelander 12.23.2006 at 10:28:26 AM
Of course browsing teh intarweb is easier on a PC. But I can still see the use of having a browser on the Wii as well. For example, when my friends are over, they always want to look something up online while I'm busy using my computer for something else. This will solve that problem. And as has been said before, it's easier to show off YouTube videos on a TV.
-1 karma
ununbiundave 12.23.2006 at 09:38:20 AM
I'm on it as well. Will it become my primary browser? Hell no. But it is awesome to show off my site or others and youtube it without hermiting at the computer. Is hermiting a word?
-1 karma
bloodix 12.23.2006 at 09:16:08 AM
im on it now. haha
-1 karma
animetayl 12.23.2006 at 08:29:55 AM
This is going to be great for me. Since I'm on the computer so much, my brother doesn't have to bother me with going onto gamefaqs to get help the millionth time in the day. He can just save and quit his game and check it on the Wii.
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jamix 12.23.2006 at 06:28:59 AM
no drk, it will still be free, the real version comes out end of march and it will be free until july
-1 karma
drk 12.23.2006 at 06:13:47 AM
Now, when it ceases to be a "Trial Version," are we going to have to pay for it?
-1 karma
pixy misao 12.23.2006 at 05:54:49 AM
I wasn't very impressed by it, mostly because the websites take up a miniscule part of the screen. Zooming in helps, but it doesn't stay like that... and in fact zooming in makes it too large for me. It is kind of nice to check Homestarrunner.com when I first wake up in the morning, but it's not really a practical Wii Channel to me right now. Especially since my wireless internet is pretty much borrowed until I can get my own working again.
-1 karma
usurper 12.23.2006 at 05:31:12 AM
Streaming video from another one of your home PC's would be nice. Someone just needs to write a simple Flash front end for that.
-1 karma
thehawk 12.23.2006 at 05:04:47 AM
By the way, where's the obligatory "Here's our website in the Wii Opera browser" screenshot?
-1 karma
sexualzergling 12.23.2006 at 04:13:07 AM
Ever send a text message? Try the alphanumeric keypad instead of the QWERTY keyboard. I'm about twice as fast with the keypad's huge buttons.
-1 karma
gon 12.23.2006 at 03:08:43 AM
It seems kinda useless to me, without a keyboard and all. If nintendo would add board support then that would be a whole different ball game.
-1 karma
thehawk 12.23.2006 at 03:05:57 AM
Browsing the web from a console really isn't that practical, but I think the one cool benefit from taking the Wii online is being able to play Flash-based games, like the ones on that Wii-specialized games website that I can't remember the name of.
-1 karma
mikey 12.23.2006 at 02:00:36 AM
Any word on USB keyboards getting support from Wii? Takes freaking forever to say something simple.
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bounchfx 12.23.2006 at 01:56:38 AM
It's going to be hella useful for me when there are people USING my computer.
And when I'm away at home where I dont have a comp accessable, I can use this to browse the web.
It's free, I sure as hell won't complain
+2 karma
c 12.23.2006 at 01:28:11 AM
oh by the way, the reason i'm using this instead of a ...real browser is because i'm living the life of a nomad and don't have my computer with me, and the computer in this house is aaallways occupied during the evening hours when i have my free time. now they can hang out on myspace and aim while i check my important gaming blogs. so it's useful to me... even if i'm the only person in the world who can honestly say that.
+2 karma
siraileron 12.23.2006 at 01:27:55 AM
So far, the PC is still the #1 intarwebbing device. XD
-1 karma
c 12.23.2006 at 01:20:13 AM
YEAH I KNOW IM ON IT RIGHT NOW >: (
+1 karma
drakken 12.23.2006 at 01:12:00 AM
I think the only real benefit to this is watching stuff on TV - say, Youtube videos with your friends/family. I had fun earlier going through some guitar and sports vids with my dad and brother (it's not like I would normally call them into my room to watch them all on my computer monitor).
And I suppose if all the comps in your house are being used, you can use the Wii to check your email or do whatever you need to do.
+0 karma
marcel 12.23.2006 at 01:03:15 AM
As cool and fun as it was to check my e-mail without getting out of bed this afternoon, I still have to wonder: who the hell wants to surf the Internet on a game console anyway? I can't type and half the Internet doesn't work. It seems to me Nintendo added this simply because everyone else was.
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